Contents

Understand

This is a tiny, remote village in one of the least visited areas of Bali. It is very much a surfing hot spot, and most visitors who do stay here stay for that reason alone. For non-surfers, it does offer a glimpse of what so much of Bali was like before the growth of mass tourism in the 1970s, and is a great place to relax.

Get in

Medewi is located about 75 kilometres west of Denpasar on the main south coast road, about 34 kilometres further west than the town of Tabanan. Anyone who travelling from the south of Bali by road to the west coast port town of Gilimanuk will pass by here.

Get around

This is a great place for walking. If you want to hire a motorbike your hotel should be able to oblige and expect to pay around Rp 70,000-100,000 per day.

See

The beach is divided in to two main portions, the eastern half which is very rocky with some large flat grey stone boulders interspersed with pebbles and black sand, and the western half which is sandier. It's not the best beach for sunbathing or lounging, but good for long quiet strolls.

Local fishermen bring in their catch just east of the river mouth, which is accessible down a steep incline from the main road. You can buy really cheap and fresh seafood here of all types, or just go to check it out. Cows grazing, fishermans' wives mending nets, sales taking place, kids playing, and boats being hauled out of the water. The catch seems to come in until around 10AM or so.

The sunset is over the Indian Ocean here which is quite magnificent.

Do

Go Surfing where the long left hand wave at Medewi Beach rolls all year and is popular with surfers for that reason. The largest waves tend to be in July and August. There is also right-hand break less than 100 metres away around the northern point. When the surf is small there is also a beach break, working mid-tide, over the river mouth about 250 metres to the south south. There are several other surf breaks nearb, including Balian Beach (30 minute drive east). For updates on conditions is is worth checking Medewi Surf Information [9].

Relax in the very quiet coastal village which nothing really is going on besides the bar, the surfing, and the local fisherman doing their business.

Understand the origin of Medewi as a place name. This area was a forest with many Ketket or thorny trees. In Balinese, thorny forest is Alas Meduwi hence the place was named Meduwi which then became Medewi.

Buy

Eat

All of the local bungalows and hotels have restaurants.

Cafe Tahu, (on the main coast road at km marker 60, 12 km east of Medewi Beach). A very popular eatery on the main coast road. It gets very busy indeed with traffic coming to and from Gilimanuk. Don't let that put you off though as the Indonesian food here is truly excellent and fantastic value for money. Right on the water-front.

Drink

A beer on the beach for sunset is very much the order of the day.

Sleep

Bambu House, Kampung Loji Pulukan (700 metres before Medewi), ☎+62 813 53675678, [1]. checkin: noon; checkout: noon. A new house which sleeps 5. King size beds and home-cooked food. 300 metres to the beach. Set off the main road in a small village surrounded by rice paddies and gardens.US$80.

Cahaya Samudra Bali Beach Inn, (close to the Nurul Huda Mosque), ☎+62 813 38667288. A simple 10 room bungalow complex set back from the beach (but with great ocean views and within walking distance) about 1 km west of Medewi Beach proper. Good quality rooms for the price asked.Rp 120,000-150,0000.

Kirra's Beach House, Medewi Beach, ☎+6281353339229 ([email protected]), [2]. Spacious, luxury bungalows/villas. Large gardens and right on top of the hill with spectacular sunset views over the Indian Ocean. Upstairs they have built Kirra's Bar which is a popular choice for an afternoon/evening beer or cocktail. 300m from the beach. Three minutes from Medewi Point Break.From US$60 per night.

Mai Malu, Medewi, ☎+6281 239 734 31 ([email protected]). Budget accomodation which is very popular amongst the young surfer crowd. Right by the beachFrom Rp 80,000.

Medewi Bay Retreat, Medewi, ☎+62 812 3842252 ([email protected]), [4]. One, two and three bedroom villas in this exclusive resort set back about 500 metres from the beach.From US$72.

Medewisurfhomestay, Kampung Baru Medewi - Pesinggahan Pekutatan - Jembrana Bali 82262, [5]. A small bungalow close to the point break. from 7 Euros.

Mukks Villa, (Look for the WIFI sign on your right when heading east out of town, and keep going down to the beach then up the slope.). Four tastefully furnished guest rooms, apparently owned by an Osaka-Japanese surfer. Wireless internet, satellite TV in the public area, surfing lessons, and a scooter for guests to use. You can see and hear the ocean when sleeping in the upper rooms. The biggest drawback is the relative lack of audio privacy. Otherwise, well suited to couples and small groups.From around 200,000.

Brown Sugar Surfcamp ([email protected]), JL Pantai Bikini No.1 (Cross the bridge to the west part of Medewi, then head south down through the fields, and take a right at the coastline.), ☎+6281916391970, [8]. checkin: 1pm. "Bali's one and only surfcamp at the beach, suitable for beginner to intermediate surfers. With accommodation (basic & deluxe), AC & hotwater shower available, restaurant, free Wi-Fi, surflessons, board rental, surf shop." Apparently run by a German, and often full of young surfing Germans on their way to Australia or vice versa. The restaurant menu is extensive, and the staff friendly. Quite a young crowd, and it can get loud if there's an excuse to party.

Contact

Get out

If you have your own transport, definitely consider the pretty spectacular road across the mountains to Seririt that starts only a couple of kilometers east of Medewi, then perhaps onward to Lovina. The road is marked by a drive-through banyan tree and sporadic but impressive views on the way up the southern side, and rice paddies and volcano views back down the north.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!